Cutting daily salt intake by a half teaspoon — about 3 grams — would not be enough to bring most Americans down to the goal of 3.7 grams a day recommended for about 70% of adults. It wouldn’t even get us down to the 5.8 grams a day recommended for lowest-risk adults.

That’s because the average U.S. man gets about 10.4 grams a day and the average U.S. woman gets about 7.3 grams a day.

But cutting back by 3 grams, or even just 1 gram, would have huge effects across the population, Bibbins-Domingo and colleagues find.